


a not-so perfect birthday

by rainstxrmkisses



Category: NCT (Band), WAYV
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Birthday, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, theres only angst for one sec dw, wayv are best friends, xiaojun is soft for yangyang, yangyang is sad, yangyang needs a hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-10
Updated: 2019-10-10
Packaged: 2020-11-28 17:08:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20970071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainstxrmkisses/pseuds/rainstxrmkisses
Summary: yangyang hates birthdays.





	a not-so perfect birthday

**Author's Note:**

> happy birthday yangyang!! also this is dedicated to nia

yangyang hates birthdays. 

  
  


in the past, his birthday had been a fleeting moment of attention from his family and friends that had died as soon as the day carried on. he would get a few passing comments of “happy birthday, man!” in the hallways at the beginning of the day, but those were sparse and subsided quickly.

  
  


so naturally, he was not inclined to mention his birthday to his best friends. the pain of 18 birthdays come and gone with little fuss pressing on his mind was enough to kiss that idea goodbye. it was sad, he knows, but honestly he doesn't mind. that much. 

  
  


his nineteenth birthday starts as usual. only a few messages from his family, some from old friends that he barely keeps in touch with, and a message from the official accounts of a few social medias. by the time he makes it to lunch, the messages have stopped. again, as usual. 

  
  


for some reason, this year stings more than it has in the past. even his eighteenth wasn't this bad. for some reason, nineteen hurt. maybe it was because the last year of his life had been the best. this was the year he met his six best friends, lucas, ten, hendery, sicheng, and kun. it's also the year he met his boyfriend, xiaojun. maybe that's why his nineteenth birthday passing with barely a whisper was like a blow to the face. 

  
  


but his day continues on. he knows all his friends have classes, and he doesn't want to bother them. he knows they'll all fuss and he doesn't want to be a distraction. besides, it's just a birthday. no need for an event. especially not for him. 

  
  


he somehow doesn't have class today, so he decides to go out for lunch as a little treat to himself. the only one he allows. he ends up at a little ramen place near campus that's cheap enough for his college budget but surprisingly tasty. he gets a simple bowl and sits at a table for one in the corner. 

  
  


he's about halfway through his ramen when he hears the singing. he looks up and his insides crumple. there's a couple sitting together with a group of friends, and the waiters are coming out of the back with a cake and balloons. it's one of their birthdays. the staff finish out the song as they place the cake in front of the woman. they all cheer as she blows out the candles. the woman turns to the man, smiling as wide as can be, and he reaches over and kisses her deeply. 

  
  


they're total strangers, but yangyang is devastated. he suddenly yearns for a cake, to blow out the candles surrounded by his friends and boyfriend. he looks down and realizes he's holding his spoon so tightly that his knuckles are white. he sets it down on the table a little more forcefully than he intended, and one of the friends looks over at him sharply. yangyang quickly looked away and stood up. he pulls some crumpled bills out of his pocket for a tip and briskly walks out of the restaurant into the cool october air. 

  
  


he takes deep breaths as he walks, suppressing the urge to cry. he can't cry, it's just a stupid day that only has fleeting materialistic value. but…he still wants to be cherished. watching that couple...he wants that with xiaojun, surrounded by his friends. he shoves his hands into his pockets, fists clenching and unclenching. he can feel tears creeping into his eyes and he starts walking even faster. 

  
  


he reaches the apartment he shares with xiaojun, ten, and winwin and fumbles in his pocket for his keys. he finally finds them and opens the door, slamming it behind him. 

“hey, what's the deal, dude?” he hears lucas call out from the living room. shit. yangyang forgot that everyone’s classes ended around the same time, so they'd all be over at his apartment, because they have an xbox. he leaned against the door and sighed. he did not need them to see him like this.

  
  


“yeah, is everything okay,  _ qinai de*? _ ” xiaojun asks.

  
  


“uh, everything is fine! just tired.” he replies, a slight shake in his voice. 

  
  


“sounds like you need some good old bro time!” lucas shouts, earning laughs from the others.

  
  


“lucas, you know he'll beat you in whatever we play, right?” hendery says, still chuckling.

  
  


“hey! i'm not that bad! at least i'm better than you!” lucas snaps playfully. 

  
  


“oh, come on, guys. take it easy! yangyang, come join us!” kun calls softly.

  
  


“uh, i think i'll just go take a nap.” yangyang replies, rubbing his eyes.

  
  


“what? when have you ever turned down a game?” ten scoffs. “are you sure you're alright?” 

  
  


“i'm fine.” yangyang snaps.

  
  


suddenly xiaojun appears at the doorway leading into the living room. he looks concerned, and the concern deepens when he takes in yangyang’s face and the way he's standing. 

  
  


“oh,  _ qinai de _ , what happened?” xiaojun says softly as he closes the distance between the two. he reaches up to wipe away the tears that had started to slide down yangyang’s face. 

  
  


this only caused the tears to come full force. he starts sobbing and falls forward into xiaojun’s startled embrace. xiaojun holds him tight as yangyang grips his shirt, rubbing his hands up and down yangyang’s back. suddenly they're both surrounded by the arms of the other four boys. yangyang hears the soothing whispers of them, attempting to calm him down. he presses closer into xiaojun’s chest, sobs continuing to rack his body. after a good while, xiaojun gently pulls away a bit, and lifts yangyang’s chin so he's looking into the crying boy’s eyes.

“now,  _ qinai de,  _ are you gonna tell us what's wrong?” he asks quietly. 

  
  


“you're gonna think it's stupid.” yangyang mumbles, attempting to look away.

  
  


“i promise i'm not gonna think it's stupid, yangyang.”

  
  


“it won't be as stupid as the time you went to work dressed as a zombie because you thought it was halloween but it was actually october 30!” hendery quips.

  
  


“not helpful, hendery.” kun hisses.

  
  


“what? i'm just trying to make him feel better.” he said sheepishly. 

  
  


“anyway, xiaojun is right. we're not gonna think it's stupid.” kun continues.

  
  


“well..” yang yang hesitates. he wants so badly to lie to put the focus away from the real problem, but they're already concerned about him. so he takes a deep breathe. 

  
  


“it's my birthday.” there were a chorus of gasps and sounds of protest. before they could speak, yang yang holds his hand up to stop them. “hey! let me explain!” they all grumbled but quieted down. “my birthday has always passed quietly and i didn't expect anything to change, so i just didn't tell any of you. but i saw someone celebrating a birthday at the ramen place i had lunch at, and i lost it.” 

  
  


“oh, sweetheart. we would have never passed up your birthday! do you remember what hendery’s birthday was like??” xiaojun exclaims, bringing yangyang back in for a hug. 

  
  


“what do you mean it always passes by quietly?” lucas asks incredulously. 

  
  


“it just did. like i would get a few birthday wishes but never anything special.” yangyang shrugs.

  
  


“well, now is the time for something special! we need to find a place to go out to eat! oh and kun-ge can make a cake, and maybe ten and i can do a performance for you, ooooh and-” sicheng starts ratting off excitedly.

  
  


“no, no, no! i don't need that, it's fine.” yangyang shakes his head. 

  
  


“well, let us do  _ something _ for you!” ten says.

  
  


“honestly? i just want to hang out with you guys. i don't wanna make a big fuss.” yangyang sighs. xiaojun smiles at him.

  
  


“of course,  _ qinai de!  _ we can do that.”

  
  


“why don't we order some bad chinese food and watch a cheesy romcom!” ten exclaims.

  
  


“that sounds wonderful.” yangyang laughs.

  
  


yangyang finds himself snuggled on the couch, laying on xiaojun’s chest, watching one of the worst romcoms he's ever seen. but it's okay, because lucas, ten, and hendery are making fun of it relentlessly and yangyang can't stop laughing. his tears are long gone, and he feels content. the only thing amiss is the slight rumbling in his stomach from the take-out ten ordered, which might come to haunt them all later that night.

  
  


but for now, yangyang is content. he's wrapped in his boyfriend’s warm arms, surrounded by the laughter of his best friends. despite the simplicity, he couldn't ask for a better night.

  
  


maybe birthdays aren't that bad after all.

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> lemme know what you think! should i write more best friends wayv?? 
> 
> *qinai de: like “dear” or “darling"


End file.
